11 Chronicles Chapter 23

Joash Made King

2Chronicles 23:1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

The restoration of the worship of God was arranged by Jehoiada the priest who was the one that protected and taught Josah whom his nurse had hidden to keep him from being killed by Athaliah who killed all the other heirs to the throne and made herself queen.

2Chronicles 23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

Jehoiada the priest was not stupid. He had to plan and get many on board with his plans to crown a lawful king and institute proper worship. Wicked kings and queens usually rule by using fear and force so they really don't have many that are loyal to them. People go along with tyrants out of fear. They usually hate them. So Jehoiada made a covenant with the congregation, Levites and soldiers to overthrow wicked the wicked queen and make the way for the proper eligible heir to be crowned king.

2Chronicles 23:4 This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.
6 But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

What an excellent plan. He was using wisdom and doing all to protect the rightful heir. He also was wise to protect the house of God and respect it by only allowing the priests and ministers of the Levites to enter while all the other people kept watch outside.

2Chronicles 23:7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

So the king had what we call here in the United States a special secret servive to guard the king. Their secret service were the Levites who had weapons and were ready to stay near the king so no harm could come to him.

2Chronicles 23:8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9 Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.
10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

He could not have done with without the help of those that were faithful and not friends of Athaliah. So tyrants and bullies do not have many faithful friends. They don't know how to make friends. They bribe, threaten and use force so that causes hate and fear, not faithfulness.

Athaliah Executed

2Chronicles 23:12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:
13 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.
14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.
15 So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.

Jehoiada ordered her execution but did not allow it in the house of the Lord. She should have ran and hidden not come out in the open but as many tyrants do, they assume all they have to do is order people around and they will obey. This time it didn't work. She died alone. No one came to her rescue. Many tyrants down through history die a horrible death because of the evil they did when they were in power.

Jehoiada's Reforms

2Chronicles 23:16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.
17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

They got rid of one of the biggest offences against God, idolatry. This shows that not everyone went along with the false worship of idolatry, they just didn't know how to stop it alone. It takes godly unity.

2Chronicles 23:18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.
20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

She had no real friends. Her rule was for nothing, her wicked deeds of murder was ended. All was for nothing. This is what happens to all wicked rulers and tyrants. They end up alone, forsaken and dead. Where they spend eternity is in the hands and mind of God.

The eyes of the Lord is upon all these things but we as His people must choose rightly and follow His ways to be part of the Kingdom to come that will bring in everlasting righteousness. -Dorna

11 Chronicles Chapter 24